Partners in Nutrition Resources

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• Working Together to Encourage a Variety of Fruits & Vegetables
• Potatoes: Packed with Good Nutrition
• What Should Kids Eat Everyday?
   

***Important Information Regarding Account Balances***

Every day, we receive numerous phone calls from parents who would like to add money to the Family Lunch Account, or to inquire as to the current balance. Perhaps the most convenient way to monitor your Family Lunch Account is via FAMILY ACCESS.  This is where you can see exactly what your student has purchased, if any payment sent into school with your child has been posted, or post payments yourself.  If you have any questions regarding Family Access, please call us at (815) 344-2803 and we'll be more than happy to help!

Again, in order to ensure that money is posted to the correct lunch accounts, we ask that, when you are sending payment in the form of a check~PLEASE be sure to note the child's FIRST and LAST name in the memo area~We have many, MANY families with the same last name. This complete information will help us to credit the correct amounts to the proper accounts in a timely manner.  REMEMBER: This is a FAMILY ACCOUNT, so there is no need to write multiple checks.

REMEMBER: You MUST have a positive balance in order for your child to make ANY purchases. Students with negative balances will be served only a cheese sandwich and milk.

 FOOD FOR THOUGHT

There's been quite a bit of discussion  in the news lately regarding the impact of school lunches on the childhood obesity rates.  The entire Food Service team has been following this topic very closely, and while we agree there's always room for improvement, we are also confident that our program does an exemplary job ensuring your children are enjoying safe, nutritious and appealing meals. 

In fact, the entire district exceeds the national average in terms of nutritional content, the amount of time the students receive for Physical Education and recess~thus resulting in a very low percentage of students considered 'obese'. We take the health of your children very seriously, and fully appreciate that our job isn't just 'filling the tray' but planning, purchasing, receiving, preparing, and serving each one of your children as if they were our very own.  Thank you for that trust.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns you may email me at any time at:

awolk@johnsburg12.org.

As many of you know, the USDA has proposed many changes to the National School Lunch Program for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year.  Currently they are sifting through the comments they’ve received during the February-Arpil comment period, and we are awaiting the final decisions.

However, the one definite change for the next school year is that all schools will be changing to the Offer Vs Serve format.  We introduced this format this year at James C Bush School with tremendous success.  Simply stated, the students will be able  to decline one food item and still have their purchase count as a meal. At Bush school, the students can decline either the fruit or vegetable offering.  The portion sizes have been increased so if they do opt out of an item they are still receiving the proper vitamins and minerals.

Also, due to the fact that we are waiting to learn what the guidelines will be, we will not be able to post the August/September menus until August.  Many families like to take a peek at the menus to become familiar with what is offered, especially if their student is moving to a new building.  Unfortunately, the process to analyze the  menus is a lengthy one, which makes it impossible to have the menus ready before the end of this year.  If you would like to familiarize yourself with  the various menus, we will be keeping the May menus online as a reference tool.  Please be sure to check back for the actual menu in mid-August.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns you may email me at any time at:

awolk@johnsburg12.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

As with any partnership, all parties need to have equal roles.  To that end, I invite you to feel free to contact your child’s Food Service Manager or myself if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, and we will do our best to address them on your behalf. Our email addresses are below:

Ringwood Elementary Primary Center
Mrs. Shari Thatcher
sthatcher@johnsburg12.org

James C. Bush Elementary School
Mrs. Pamela LaFontaine
plafontaine@johnsburg12.org

Johnsburg Junior High School
Mrs. Elizabeth Foydl
efoydl@johnsburg12.org

Johnsburg High School
Mrs. Ruth Strohfeldt
rstrohfeldt@johnsburg12.org

District Food Service Coordinator
Mrs. Anna Wolk
awolk@johnsburg12.org

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture  policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.  To file a complain of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3272 (voice) or (202)720-6382 (TDD).
 USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.